Reflecting on the world’s troubled state nowadays, composer/songwriter/singer/lyricist/art director/manager/actor/producer Max Enix will be dropping his latest concept album Far From Home on the 9th of June 2023 via Wormholedeath Records. Mixing his diverse influences, Enix creates a progressive heavy piece that’ll take you on a long interesting trip with the help of Thomas Kubler (additional arrangements/orchestrator), Hugo Williame (additional drums programming), François Rousselot (conductor), Victor Monteriggioni (copyist), Leo Margarit (drums), Vikram Shankar (Piano/Keyboards), Jean-Jacques Moréac (Bass), Xavier Boscher (guitars), EliseWachbar (vocals), the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, and loads of others on vocals and guitars, and today we’re gonna sit down and chat a little with him
Welcome to Rock Era Magazine Max, really looking forward to talking with you after my mind was blown by Far From Home.
- First of all, you’re a composer, songwriter, singer, lyricist, art director, manager, actor, and producer. Which one came first? And how do you implement them all to serve your musical direction?
Thank you so much for your words and for the wonderful review of the double album! The first thing was singing, then writing, composing, acting…! The artistic direction is all that ! As for the management part, I developed it by working as a real estate for many years on my own account and in commerce! I’ve also worked as a therapist in alternative medicine, among other fields! I used all these skills naturally in the creative process and it helped me a lot!
- You have a diverse sound with different influences in Far From Home, can you tell us about your very first influences and how you got into music? What was your first instrument?
My first instrument apart from singing was the electric guitar, which I started playing at the age of 16 (thanks to the band Rhapsody, who were my first big influence after Michael Jackson), then a few years later the keyboard at around 19! I still remember buying my first keyboard and carrying it home on the bus/tram! Those are precious memories! My first improvisation was already a very epic one with the ocean in the background! It never stopped evolving and diversifying after that! At 37 now and after an album under Constellia: Secret Garden and over 500 improvisations/interpretations, it was time for me to release this ambitious double album! Lots of others influences like Devin Townsend, Pain of Salvation, Dream Theater, Vanden Plas, Evergrey, Opeth, Therion, Anathema, Katatonia, Hans Zimmer, Shining, Wolves in the throne room, Ayreon, Threshold…
ALBUM REVIEW – Far From Home by Max Enix
- With such complex multi-layered structures I’d like to know how usually your writing process goes?
It’s all very natural and guided! The ideas flow and above all I’m looking for emotional impact and notes that pierce the soul and bring out the strongest emotions! That’s the most important thing for me! I want you to come away marked every time you listen to it and shiver when you hear some deeply moving passages!
- Listening to Far From Home I noticed the presence of key characters and defining moments. Can you tell us more about Far From Home’s main concept and storyline?
Far From Home represents the earthly existence and all that surrounds it ! The actions of human beings ! The oppositions, the different points of view ! In a spiritual way too. The yin and the yang. Not everything is white, not everything is black. We must try to find a balance and constantly try to go beyond our condition. Gradually leave this human condition that shackles us to aspire to deeper and more cosmic interactions. To keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground, for our personal equilibrium. It is a kind of journey of the soul. I’ll let you discover the story in time and the 48-page booklet that goes with it. The Album starts in prehistory with the tragedy that decimated the dinosaurs (meteorite). After that, the vegetation rebuilt itself progressively before arriving in our time. The story therefore takes place mainly in our time. A new tragedy similar to the extinction of the dinosaurs is foreseen at the end (meteorite preceded by the storm of the century). There is an apocalyptic and prophetic sense behind this. The representation of the meteorite could also be replaced by an atomic bomb or other for example (very topical with the current conflicts). It all depends on how you want to portray it. How will they prepare for this and how will it all end ? Is the end of humanity near ? Is a miracle possible ? Are there other connections in the universe (black or worm holes) ? I’ll let you discover all this in the double album that I advise you to listen to on headphones with the booklet in your hands ! The story may be transposed to the cinema as well (+ film music) but all things in their own time !
- What kickstarted the writing of Far From Home? Did the music come first or the concept?
First of all I wrote the story, the concept and then, depending on the sentences, I tried to capture as much as possible the essence for the music! I gradually fleshed out the script at the same time! The music became very epic! This story could be developed even further in the future for various projects…
- You collaborated with tons of artists in Far From Home, how did you manage to assign each artist to his/her role?
Once again, things happened very naturally! I created all the vocal lines at home based on the compositions and the final orchestrations, then went into the studio to put my ideas together and refine them if necessary! We recorded the demos and then I sent everything to the guests who took over my lyrics and the vocal parts! Then the guests on guitar (or harp) created their parts based on the music (orchestrated by Thomas Kubler) just like the other musicians on the project who based themselves on the music I composed! My way of composing and proceeding (methodology) is quite similar to that of Hans Zimmer (also self-taught)! Everything is composed on the basis of film music!
- How did the writing and recording process of Far From Home go? And how did you manage to coordinate the writing and recording with such a big number of parties?
Different steps… Ideas, writing the script, composing at home for about 6 months on keyboard/piano and indications then drafting the vocals, receiving the orchestrations, the musicians worked out their parts according to the indications given (or not), creating the definitive vocal lines, studio to refine all that, sending to the guests, returning their parts, recording the orchestra, editing and refining the whole, fantastic mix-mastering by David Castillo and Tony Lindgren and many other things (working out the clips etc…)! Great organisation.
ALBUM REVIEW – Far From Home by Max Enix
- What’s the difference between the sound of Far From Home and its predecessor Secret Garden? Any clue about your future direction?
The difference is quite enormous! The first album, Constellia: Secret Garden, was co-composed with another composer, was simpler, more direct, more radio-friendly – it was deliberate, and it already included elements that can be found on Far From Home! Having said that, I see it more as a rough draft of what was to come with Far From Home and future albums, even though I’m happy with the result! That’s why for Far From Home I wanted to take things into my own hands and do/elaborate/compose everything myself to retain full artistic, emotional and personal freedom! I wanted something much more ambitious, much deeper, much more emotional! Far From Home represents the vision of the project I had from the start! My creative process and my creativity are much more important this way! And that made me want to go full steam ahead! To do a big promotion and manage everything! The WormHoleDeath Record label is doing a great job too! Our combined strengths are making sparks fly! The most important thing for me in music is EMOTION! Getting shivers down the spine of your listeners! I’ve got a list of future projects/collaborations already! They’ll all be completely different from each other, epic (single albums in general), with different and varied formats, they’ll take you in different atmospheres and surprise you! The aim is to outdo ourselves on every release! I’m a perfectionist and want everything to be as good as it can be! The goal is to create works of art that make an impact and break codes!
- Do you have any touring plans? If so, how do you think this can happen with your line-up?
Yes, tours are being planned at the moment in various countries and even continents! I don’t yet know whether the first tour will be a European, an American, an Asian, an Australian, an English ones… There are a number of possibilities open to me at the moment! There are several possible configurations for live shows… With some of the musicians from the double album, like Vikram Shankar and Leo Margarit (Pain of Salvation) among others etc… Or a simpler configuration for the moment with 2 singers (a female singer and me) and an amazing visual show! All will be professional on every points and transcendent ! I think this second configuration is the best for now and then we will see after (Festivals, Live DVD…) ! Lots of surprises are coming (more video clips, original goodies, the triple album with exclusive FX sounds end of the year…)! Thanks for all your support ! Eyes to the Future <3
- Thanks so much for your time, wishing you the best of luck Max.
Thanks for All ! Wishing you the best of luck too
